Cute shoelaces from leftovers

I found this idea in one of the Knitting Daily newsletters and showed the write-up to our knitting ladies. "It's just an I-cord" was the response. I liked it, these I-cord shoelaces can make even these boots look cute!

One ball of yarn should give you many pairs of shoelaces, but this is a great idea to use up leftover sock yarns, for example. Want to have the little instruction sheet? Just email me.

The sun is shining...

Here's Alison's newest:
"The sun is shining,
so it seems fitting,
to sit on your deck
and do some spring and summer knitting!"

She also writes this: It's a sure sign of spring when the new colourful yarns are arriving. Here some great ones to get excited about:

From Schulana: Sierra
A double knitting cotton blend, dyed to give the effect of your favourite sock yarn. Sierra is a cotton/silk blend for softness and strength. We can see it working up as a great summer tank top, baby hat, or even a perfect pair of summer socks. Pamper yourself! The 50g ball has 110 meters and retails for $9.95. See shade card.

From Filatura di Crosa: Lovely Jeans
Get the look and feel of your favourite pair of jeans with this fabulous new cotton. The label says it works as chunky weight, but we suspect it would be great knit as an aran weight, too. Great colours and the comfort of cotton make this yarn a great choice for children's wear and spring/summer wearables. The 50g ball has 85 meters and retails for $9.95. Check the shade card. Be sure to check out the patterns designed for this yarn in two new publications: Filatura di Crosa "Cute Kids" and "Lovely Jeans". See this Chain Stitch Pullover from the book Lovely Jeans!

Other new pattern books from Filatura di Crosa, both for Spring 2010, are the "Classics" and "Fancy" Collections. See our book page. We are pleased to see that both books feature several crochet patterns in addition to their knitted ones.

From Schoppel Wolle: In-Silk
The luxury of silk is combined perfectly with the softness of Merino Wool in this gorgeous aran weight yarn that is a dream to work with. We see it as a hat and fingerless glove set, or in a shawl or sweater. A lady sweater size S requires 500g. Silk touches the wool while felting. It's an evenly smooth yarn in bright colours. The 100g skein is made up of 75% wirgin merino wool and 25% silk, and has an impressive 200 meters. In-Silk retails for $23.95 - see the beautiful shades.

From Riverstone Yarns: Mohair
We are pleased to see that mohair is making a comeback, and we are in love with this new worsted weight yarn that is made in South Africa and hand-dyed in Creston, British Columbia. Exceptionally soft, this yarn features a touch of wool and nylon for strength. The 2 ounce skein has 110 yards and retails for $16.25, the colour and texture has to be seen to be appreciated! There is no shade card yet, so come visit us to see this and all the other yarns, in parson.